Hopkinton News : Concord

Gene and Anne Slusser, of Hopkinton, donate $1 million to Concord VNA

Bow Editor — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:46:00 GMT

Gene Slusser wanted to make sure he said, “Thank you,” to those who have helped care for his wife, and he said it in a big way.

Slusser, whose donation made building Hopkinton’s Slusser Senior Center possible, recently donated $1 million to the Concord Regional Visiting Nurse Association.

Slusser’s wife, Anne, is battling dementia and the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, and the visiting nurses have helped her live comfortably at home.

“The fact that they are supplying us help at the house for my wife (is why the donation was made),” said Gene Slusser. “I didn’t want to put her in one of the hospitals, and with their help, she’s here.”

The donation will be spread to a number of areas, including $100,000 to develop two scholarship funds – one for Hopkinton High School graduates who are interested in studying science, math or health, and the other scholarship for the visiting nurses staff members to continue their education.

In addition to the scholarships, Slusser’s donation will also help the Concord Regional Visiting Nurse Association move into a new building, as $500,000 will help purchase the building and $400,000 for furnishings.

“We were stunned and very pleased by the donation,” said Eileen Male of the Concord Regional Visiting Nurse Association. “With this gift, we’ll be able to get state-of-the-art information technology equipment, and that’s very important. It helps us keep up with everything that’s going on with home care.”

According to Male, one of the rooms the donation will help furnish is a high-tech training room for the nurses, including computers, projectors and TVs.

“That was my idea. I told them what to use it for. I knew they needed money for their furnishings,” said Gene Slusser. “They’ve been wonderful. They come to my house and help me with taking care of Anne. It’s a first-class operation.”

Slusser said he wanted to make sure the donation helped benefit his hometown as well as others in the area, which is why he wanted to incorporate the Hopkinton High School scholarships.

“My idea was that some of the money should go back to our town, and to our town kids,” he said.

According to Male, having his wife at home with him has been something extremely important to Slusser.

“She has been in our care for some time, and I think they’ve come to depend on our care,” said Male. “Mr. Slusser depends on us to have his wife be able to stay at home, and that’s what means everything to him, to be able to still have that time with her.”

Both sides are excited about the large gift.

“I think they’re pleased they could give us such a gift, and we are totally pleased,” said Male. Slusser said he was glad to see the CRVNA’s reaction to his gift.

“They were excited, very happy and pleased to hear about it. It will facilitate getting their new building furnished and other opportunities for them,” said Slusser. “It’s money they didn’t really have and they now have.”

Live together

The Slussers first met during an air raid drill in 1942 when they ran into each other in the hallway at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where Gene Slusser was working at the time.

The couple moved to Hopkinton in 1954 and he founded Aerotronic Associates in 1958, a company that made equipment to test semi-conductors.

Slusser’s business was making about $18 million a year when he sold it and retired in 1984. The couple then spent their free time flying in their private plane. Gene Slusser has had a passion for flying since he first flew at the age of 15, and he still enjoys his plane.

Hopkinton teen among Youth of the Year

Bow Editor — Wed, 21 May 2008 19:42:00 GMT

Seven New Hampshire young men and women were recognized for their contributions to their families, schools and communities in ceremonies at the State House on May 14.

The seven youth were chosen by each of their local Boys and Girls Clubs as Youth of the Year for their club, based on their exemplary leadership skills, academic performance and contributions to society. The seven individuals underwent a vigorous screening process that included an essay contest and interviews with community volunteer judges. They are recipients of the highest award given to club members.

“The Youth of the Year program, for youth ages 14 to 18, has been an integral part of Boys and Girls Clubs of America for over 60 years,” said Rich Lowney, president of the New Hampshire Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs. Nationally, this program is supported by the Reader’s Digest Foundation. In New Hampshire, the statewide Youth of the Year program has received support from Comcast and the Ninety- Nine Restaurants, said Lowney.

The winners were each recognized by Speaker of the House Terie Norelli and the 400 member House of Representatives at the beginning of their session and then met with Gov. John Lynch in his office. The winners were also individually recognized by Senate President Sylvia Larsen and received proclamations from the Senate.

The seven Youth of the Year are Sean Pirttiaho of Hopkinton, Joe Aberle of Derry, James LaBrie of Laconia, Joe Calderon of Manchester, Jessica Hatch of Milford, Kaitlyn Beal of Salem and Rocio Camacho of Nashua. Rocio Camacho has also been chosen as the New Hampshire Boys and Girls Club Alliance statewide Youth of the Year and will represent New Hampshire in the regional competition in New York this summer.

Boys and Girls Clubs in New Hampshire served more than 19,000 registered members and reached more than 45,000 young people last year, through programs and activities run by seven clubs at 28 program and 16 school-based sites, reaching 82 communities in the state.

New Hampshire clubs are headquartered in Concord, Derry, Lakes Region/Laconia, Manchester, Nashua, Salem, Souhegan Valley/Milford. Thet are proud to be part of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, a national network of more than 4,000 community and neighborhood- based facilities annually serving some 4.8 million young people in all 50 states and on U.S. military bases worldwide.

As “The Positive Place for Kids,” clubs provide guidance-oriented programs on a daily basis for children 6 to 18 years old, conducted by a full-time professional staff. Key Boys and Girls Club programs emphasize character and leadership development, education and career exploration, financial literacy, health and life skills, the arts, sports, fitness and recreation and family outreach. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.

Help away from home – Shop owner reaches out to African refugees

Bow Editor — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 19:49:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Kim Harris’ Hopkinton shop serves as much more than just a place where customers come to make purchases.

The specialty store sells a variety of home goods, but more importantly serves as a place where Hopkinton-area residents can come and talk to Harris about how they can help refugees from across Africa who are living in the Concord area.

Harris is a member of the Concord Multicultural Project, which helps refugee families after they have been relocated in the area. The shop owner had been previously interested in helping the refugees, but wasn’t sure where to begin.

“I had always been interested in the refugees, but never knew how to get started. A friend told me about the group that got together once a month, and once I went to one of those meetings, I got hooked,” said Harris.

“Whenever I have the free time I like to spend time with them. I love it.”

Recently, the group was given a $500 grant by the Junior Service League, which will help fund the newest project, aiming to help the refugees make beaded items.

Harris said the effort will focus on the female refugees, who will get paid for making a variety of items, which will then be sold to shops in the area. The money earned will then be put directly back into the Concord Multicultural fund, thus helping the refugees even further.

The process is something Harris is very excited about, as it will help the families more than financially.

“Since a lot of the women are sitting at home in their apartments all day to watch their kids and their husbands are working, we want to help them make some money and be able to do something,” she said.

“They’re very creative and hard working, and it helps them with their English and get some self-esteem. Some of them are very talented.”

The group has received donations of sewing machines and other tools to help get the process going, and Harris said donations such as beads and plyers are greatly appreciated.

Many of the new Concord residents have come from areas such as Ethiopia, Rwanda and other troubled countries.

“They’re basically fleeing from political strife and endangerment, killings and those things. It’s horrendus the situation they have left,” she said.

Because of the difficult backgrounds the refugees come from, Harris said the little things are even more rewarding.

“The most rewarding aspect is to see when they can accomplsih something like getting their drivers license. We want to make it so they feel like they have a family here,” said Harris. “It’s just great for them to know that they can call me just to talk and say hi and just to know that we’re here for them, because it’s a pretty incredible transition for them.”

Helping the refugees become community members is the ultimate goal of Harris and her fellow volunteers.

“We’re just really hoping to find out what each person’s talents are. Once the refugees are settled in with the basics, they’re at the point where we can focus on the fun things with them,” said Harris, whose dream is to have a cultural center in Concord. “We want them to have English classes and extra tutoring, to have basic skills to get out into the community and be sustainable. They really do want to work and get out there.”

Anyone interested in helping volunteer or donate to the refugees can stop by the Bella Shop on Main Street in Hopkinton or contact United Way of Merrimack County.

For Harris, the reason to volunteer is simple.

“I just love helping people, and they are a group of people who really just need a leg up. They’re our neighbors.”

Susan Lynch gives back to her community

Bow Editor — Wed, 02 May 2007 19:39:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Despite working full-time as a pediatric lipid specialist at Concord Hospital, mothering three children and handling the rigors and time constraints of being the first lady of New Hampshire, Dr. Susan Lynch still finds time to give back to her hometown of Hopkinton.

“I don’t think I’ve turned down anything that Hopkinton has ever asked me to do. Whether it’s the schools or another function, I will go out of my way because I love this community and I’m really proud to represent it and help out in any way I can,” said Lynch.

Still, Lynch can only be in so many places at once.

“It’s tough, and I have to say ‘no’ to a lot of things I would really like to participate in (outside of Hopkinton) because I work and because I have three children. I have to do what I can manage, and I won’t ever accept something that I can’t do a good job on, so I try to do the things that are the most meaningful that fit with my schedule. But it’s a juggle all the time,” she said.

In 2006, Lynch was also named the Public Citizen of the Year by the New Hampshire Pediatric Society.

Roxanne Benzel, president of the Hopkinton Woman’s Club, said Lynch has continuously offered her support throughout the years.

“She’s been an active member long before becoming New Hampshire’s first lady,” said Benzel.

Lynch said she joined the Hopkinton Woman’s Club shortly after moving to town 21 years ago.

“It’s just a great organization with a lot of wonderful camaraderie among the women, but its strongest area is the cooperative spirit of working together to help the community in many ways from raising money for scholarships to helping individuals who are unable to get out of their homes and providing them transportation.

“They seem to have their hands in almost everything around here,” she continued. “They offer the opportunity to have fun and really get out and meet your neighbors. I can’t think of a better organization to belong to.”

But for members, it’s Lynch’s presence at club functions and continued support that help to promote the club’s goals and ideals.

Cindy Glass organized a club sponsored Health and Wellness Fair on April 21, in which Lynch was the keynote speaker.

“It was key to have Dr. Lynch here. Before we did anything else, we set out to get her to come and when she gave us the OK, we then worked around her schedule to make it work for all sides,” said Glass. “We were just thrilled to have her come. She is very well-respected in the community, and it was very important for us to have her here.”

Likewise, Lynch said the health and wellness fair provided an excellent platform for raising awareness about childhood obesity and its ripple effect on high cholesterol, hypertension and the increased risk of heart disease.

“A lot of examples that I gave in my talk and things you hear from other speakers are information that people don’t always know about,” she said. “I think it provides great information for the community on very concrete issues that they can take away and make specific changes in their lifestyle.”

Senior center costs curbed

Bow Editor — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 19:28:00 GMT

By Ryan O’Connor
Staff Writer

A $1 million donation Eugene and Anne Slusser to build a new senior center in Hopkinton may not be enough after the initial bid on the project came in nearly 50 percent higher than expected.

Milstone Engineering and Construction of Concord, the company handpicked by the town for the project, submitted a $1.45 million estimate to build the center, which will be placed at Houston Fields next to the Hopkinton Library.

Don Lane, the selectmen’s representative and chairman of the Slusser Center Committee, said the estimate is not reasonable from his and other officials’ perspectives, but the two sides are re-evaluating the cost of the project.

“We’ve been working on it and we’ve chopped about $250,000 so far. We’re not finished yet,” Lane said. “We’re bringing it more and more into line every day.”

Among the items the town may be looking to cut are some energy-efficient options discussed at two public hearings during the summer, including spray-in insulation, a modern heating and air-conditioning system, low-energy glass, light sensors and a dimming feature to automatically adjust indoor lighting with natural light from outside.

According to Town Administrator Ed Wojnowski, those items will cost 3 percent more up front, but may save the town a one-third of the building’s energy costs down the road.

Still, Lane said, the town will make cuts where appropriate to make the cost reasonable.

“We’ll still look at those types of (energy-efficient) things, but we have to be responsible about it. If it’s going to cost considerably more than we have to spend, then we won’t,” Lane said. “We may pick and choose between some of those things and we certainly want to build as green a building as we can, but still use common sense because we don’t have the money to experiment.”

Should the cost still exceed $1 million, officials will not ask the town for extra money, said Lane.

“We’re going to start fundraising in November to try to make up the difference and also encourage people to donate various items that can be used at the center,” Lane said. “I’m pretty confident we will be able to get it done. This town has been very supportive of practically everything like this in the past.”

The only cost to Hopkinton, once the senior center is open, will be for maintenance and operations, which will run about $28,000 to $35,000 per year, Lane said.

“We aren’t adding any key personnel, which would impact that cost considerably,” he said. “We’re moving people around, like the social services director and recreation director, who will both be operating out of that building, which eliminates the need to add another person.”

Robert Mattes, the town recreation director, has been in charge of the facility since Columbia Hall was closed as a community center last month.

In addition, the two-story Slusser Center will house the town’s human services office, food pantry and Dial-a-Ride desk, among other services.

The town recreation offices will remain at Columbia Hall.

Construction on the new 7,344-sqaure-foot building is set to begin this month and, although slightly delayed, Lane expects the timetable will be close to the original plan.

“We’re still moving ahead and still planning on an April opening for it,” he said. “That’s our target and were not going to miss it by much.”

Burack takes DES commission post

Bow Editor — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 16:11:00 GMT

By Ryan O’Connor
Staff Writer

Hopkinton resident Thomas Burack has been confirmed as new commissioner of New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services by the Executive Council and Gov. John Lynch, who nominated him.

About a month after Michael Nolin announced he would be stepping down at DES, Burack’s commission won support on Sept. 13.

“New Hampshire’s environment and natural resources are among our state’s most important economic assets and I look forward to working with Tom Burack to protect them while fostering economic growth,” said Lynch. “Tom brings a broad range of environmental and business experience to this job and we will work closely to bring people together to find commonsense solutions that work for New Hampshire.”

The main issues Burack may confront is one that hits close to home the Bio Energy plant in West Hopkinton.

DES has been involved in legal battles with the parent company, Regenesis, since the plant’s solid waste permit was revoked by the commission in June 2005. In the decision, DES assistant commissioner Michael Walls said Bio Energy failed to disclose information about Anthony DiNapoli, a company principle who was charged with witness tampering, a felony.

The company is appealing the DES decision, but citizen groups are also appealing to DES to make the permit revocation permanent.

Burack said it would be inappropriate to discuss Bio Energy or any other issue that could come before him once he officially assumes the commissioner post on Nov. 1. In addition, Burack’s law firm, Sheehan, Phinney, Bass and Green of Manchester, has represented the company in the past.

“As far as the policy issues that have been raised by (Bio Energy) that relate primarily to construction and demolition debris, all I can say is I look forward to working with Gov. Lynch and all concerned parties to try to find some common-sense solutions that work for New Hampshire,” he said.

Regenesis officials are taking a similar approach to the commission appointment.

“We look forward to working with Mr. Burack in the future as DES commissioner,” said spokesman Mark Dell’Orfano.

Burack said he looks forward to the challenges associated with his new position, and he cares deeply about New Hampshire and its future.

“As commissioner, I want to bring people together to find ways to ensure that we in New Hampshire continue to enjoy both a clean and healthy environment, and a vibrant and growing economy,” he said.

Experience

Before becoming a partner at Sheehan, Phinney, Bass and Green law firm, where he specializes in environmental, real estate and corporate law, Burack served from 1982-84 as legislative assistant for environmental matters for U.S. Sen. Gordon Humphrey and as a law clerk for then-Associate New Hampshire Supreme Court Justice David Souter from 1988-89.

Burack graduated from Dartmouth College in 1982 and received his law degree from the University of Virginia in 1998.

From 1992-96, he served as vice chairman of the New Hampshire Superfund Task Force and as a member of the New Hampshire Recycling Markets Development Steering Committee.

Burack also served as chairman of the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire’s WasteCap Program Steering Committee since 1990 and as chairman of the New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Authority.

Other positions include former president and chairman on the Truman Scholars Association board of trustees, former chairman of the New Hampshire Bar Association’s section on environmental and natural resources law, and former legal counsel to the New Hampshire Republican State Committee.

In 2001, Burack was named one of 10 state leaders on environmental matters by Business NH Magazine.

He is a member of board of advisors for the George C. Marshall Foundation and, as a former member of the board of trustees for the Audubon Society of New Hampshire, he is an honorary trustee.